Caster



ug. 23, 1932. I W F, HERQLD 1,873,888

CASTER i Filed July 50, 1950 1NVENTOR. WALTER' F HER QLD.

BY l

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1932 1 WALTER n. :anla-OLD, or Urriinraon'rcnarn, NEW JnnsEY, Asscfnon 'roman session COMPANY, orBRInGErolar, comunemente, A oonron-Arron or CONNECTICUT CASTER IApplication filed July 30,

lThe present invention relates to "casters, and has for an object toprovide` a caster in which looseness between the relatively movableparts will be prevented at all times, irrespective of wear, variationsin size' resulting from manufacturing tolerances, and other causes.Heretofore it has been customary to mechanically adjust casters inassembling them to eliminate looseness and noise, but this l@ wasneither positive or lasting, and 'after 15 and which 25 over it.

very little wear Vsuch adjustment would be lost, and it is proposed inthe present invention to obviate this, providing a snugly fittedassembly withoutV necessity for adjustment, will maintain such snugrelation under all conditions and irrespective of wear. rlhe casteraccording to my invention will eliminate the noise and rattle causedwhen one or more of the casters of a set are' out of engagement with thefloor, unevenness in the mounting of the casters, or of the floorsurface, usually causing at leastone of a set'of four casters to becomedisengaged from the floor surface as the supported objectis rolled Inaddition tonoise and'rattle, this condition causesw excessive wearupon'V the caster parts, this being particularly true o f ball-bearingcasters, and in this respect the invention is especially desirable inconnection e30 with this type of'casters.

Another object is to provide a caster having asheet metal horn and ahardened center bearing ring, adapted to be loosely assembled therewith,and tightly retained in vassembled relation with respect tothe horn' andother cooperating parts of the caster assembly.'y

With the above and other objects inview, embodiments of the inventionare shown in the accompanyingdrawing, and these embodiments will behereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

ln the drawing: Fig. 1 is a vertical caster, according to one embodimentof the invention, the lower portion of the horn and the wheel beingshown in side elevation. i

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, the horn being in section along the line2.-2 of'Fig; 1.

sectional view ofthe 1930.A seriaiNo. 471,698. r i

Fig. 3 is a detail'view partly in elevation, and partly `in section,lofvthe icenter bearing ring employed.v f

Fig. l is an elevation of the center stud employed. L f ,l

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the spring member employed.l

Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 7 isa vertical sectional view of 'amodified form of the invention. Y y Similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts throughout the several fig'- ures ofthedrawings. i Referring to the drawing, the caster comprises a horn 10,preferably of pressed sheet metal, and in which the wheel 10a is'mounted,v A central opening 11 is provided in the `circular horntop landin concentric rela-tion therewith anannular ball-race depression '12 isprovided, the marginalv portion of the top outwardly of the race being'raised with re'- Aspect to the inner-portion 'and having a ,downwardlyextending reinforcing flange 13;

A hardened ringll is loosely fitted in the opening and isprovided withAa shoulder 15 engagrng the under side of the horn top and al laterallyextendingviiange 16 spaced below the horn top. 'lhe inner surface of thering is provided. with a ball race 17, antifriction balls 18 beingdisposedbetween this race and a cooperatingballrace 1,9 provided at thelower end of: the centers-tud 20.'

.The center stud 20 extends loosely through the ringlll, and is providedwith a reduced 'threaded shank 21, engaged injacenter open! Ving 22ofthe top Aplate 23,.and having a'vnvut 24 screwed .thereon and disposedwithin the central recess ofthe top plate. Y A'washer Q6 is disposedbetween the'stud and thelunder side of the top plate and maybe of'anydesired thickness to properly space ther plate from the horn. `rIhe useof the washer compensates for variationsV resulting froin the usualmanufacturing tolerances. i Y j A series ofantifriction balls 2l' isdisposed between the under vflat surface of the top plate and theball-race 12. y i

An annular downwardly projected rib 2S lis pressed in the'topyplate/,Which servesto reinforce it, and Also to particularly closeftheltd space between the plate and horn to exclude dirt from the ball-raceand retain grease therein, being disposed for this purpose in slightlyspaced relation about the horn top.

In order to maintain the parts in tight but non-binding relation at alltimes, regardless of wear and looseness resulting from manufacturingtolerances, a split spring ring 29 is employed, this ring being ofarcuate form as viewed from its edge (Fig. 6), sothat under tension itexerts an equally distributed pressure upwardly and downwardly. The ringis placed in the recess formed by the flange 16 of the bearing ring, andthrough downward pressure on the bearing ring and upward' pressure onthe horn top maintains the tight relation of the load and side thrustbearings.

The shoulder limits deflection of the spring ring 29 to a predeterminedextent within its elastic limit.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modification in which the antifriction ballsbetween the ring 14 and the center stud are dispensed with, the bearingbetween these parts being simply a laterally extending flange 30 at thelower end of the stud and al recess 31'in the ring in which the flangeis engaged. In other respects the construction and operation is similarto the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1 to 6.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodimentsof the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be madetherein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to. secure,by Letters Patent is 1. In a caster, a floor engaging element includinga horn, an attaching element, means rotatably connecting said horn tosaid attaching element, bearing means between said horn and saidattaching element, and resilient means adapted to press said horn andsaid attaching element into relation with said bearing means to preventlooseness and tor be depressed under the load imposed on said caster.

2. In a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn, an attachingelement, means rotatably connecting said horn to said'attaching element,antifriction rotatable bearing means between said horn and saidattaching element, and resilient means adapted to press said horn andsaid attaching element into relation with said bearing means to preventlooseness and to be depressedunder the load imposed on said caster.

3. In a caster, a floor engaging element including ahorn having a topportion, an attaching element including ar plate overlying the horn topmeans rotatably connecting said horn top to. said plate, bearing meansinterposed between vsaidv horn top and said plate, and means adapted toresiliently press said horn top and platetoward each other toprener/ases vent looseness and to be depressed under the load imposed onsaid caster.

4:. In a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn having a topportion provided with a central aperture, an attaching element includinga plate overlying the horn top, a center stud secured to said plate andengaged in said aperture of the horn top and rotatably connecting said horn top to said plate, bearing means interposed between said horn topand said plate, and resilient means beneath said horn top exertingdownward pressure on said center stud and upward pressure on said horntop to'prevent looseness between said horn top and plate.

5. AIn a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn having a topportion provided with ak central aperture and an annular ballrace groovesurrounding said aperture, an attachingelement including' a plateoverlying the horn top, a center stud secured to said plate and engagedin said aperture of the horn top and rotatably connecting said horn topto said plate, ball-bearings 'disposed in said annular groove of thehorn top and engaging said plate, and resilient means exerting downwardpressure on said center stud and upward pressure-on saidv horn top toprevent looseness between said horn top and plate.

6. In a caster, a floor engaging element including ahorn'having a topportion provided with a central aperture, an attaching element, a centerstud secured to said attaching element and engaged in said aperture ofthe horn top and including a laterally extending flange, ari'ng memberloosely disposed in said aperture and extending'above said flange of thecenter stud and beneath said horn top, and resilient means interposedbetween said ring and said horn top exerting downward pressure on saicring and center stud and upward pressure on said horn top to preventloosenessbetween said horn top and said attaching element.

7. In a caster, afloor engaging elem-ent including a horn having a topportion provided with a central aperture, an attaching element, a centerstud secured to said attaching ele- `ment and engaged in said apertureof the horn top and including a laterally extending flange having aball-race surface, a ring member looselyvdisposed in said aperturehaving a ball-race surface extending above and opposedY to saidballerace surface of the center stud and a flange extending beneath saidhorn top, balls interposed between said ball-race surfaces, andresilient means interposed between the flange of said ring and said horntop exerting downward pressure on said ring and center stud and upwardpressure on said horn top to prevent looseness between said horn topandV said attaching element.

8; In a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn having atopportion provided with a centralaperture, anattaching element including aplate overlying the horn top, a center stud secured to said plate andengage in said aperture of the horn topand including a laterallyextending flange, bearing means interposed between said horn top'an saidplate, a ring member loosely disposed in said aperture and extendingabove said iange of the center stud and beneath said horn top, andresilient means interposed between said ring and said horn top exertingdownwar pressure on said ring and center stud and upward pressure onsaid horn top to prevent looseness between said horntop and plate.

9. ln a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn having a topportion provided v,

with a central aperture, an attaching element including a plateoverlying the horn top, a center stud secured to said plate and engagedin said aperture of the horn top and including a laterally extendingflange having a ball-race surface, bearing means interposed between saidhorn top and said plate, a ring memberI loosely disposed in saidaperture having a ball-race surface extending above and opposed to saidball-race surface of the center stud and a flange extending beneath saidhorn top, balls interposed between said ball-race surfaces, andresilient means interposed between the flange of said ring and said horntop exerting downward pressure on said ring and center stud and upwardpressure on said horn top to prevent looseness between said.

horn top and plate.

10. In a caster,'a floor engaging elementi including a horn having a topportion pro-- vided with a'central aperture, an attaching elementincluding a plate top, a center stud secured to said plate and. engagedin said aperture of the horn top and'. including a laterally extendingflange having: a ball-race surface, antifriction rotatablel bearingmeans interposed between said horn. top and said plate, a ring memberloosely f disposed Vin said aperture having a ball-race surfaceextending above and opposed to said ball-race surface of the center studand a flange extending beneath said horn top, balls interposed betweensaid ball-race surfaces, and resilient means interposed between theflange of said ring and said horn top exerting downward pressure on saidring and center stud and upward pressure on said horn to preventlooseness between said horn top and plate.

11. In a caster, a floor engaging element including a horn, an attachingelement, means rotatably connecting said horn to said attaching element,bearing means between said horn and said attaching element, resilientmeans adapted to press said horn and said attaching element intorelation with said bearing means to prevent looseness, and abutmentmeans adapted to limit deflection of said resilient means to a partialpredetermined extent and to non-resiliently support said horn .mentionedportion overlying the horn d with a central aperture, an attachingelement,

a center stud secured to said attaching element and engaged in saidaperture of the horn top a ring member loosely disposed in said apertureand retained therein by said center stud including a portion extendingbeneath and adapted to abut the under side of said horn top to limitrelative vertical movement between them and a portion extending beneathand in spaced relation to said horn top, and resilient means interposedbetween said last of the ring and said horn top exerting downwardpressure on said ring and center stud and upward pressure on said horntop to prevent looseness between `said horn top and said attachingelement.

. Signed at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut,this 26 day of July, 1930.

WALTER F. HEROLD.

